Packages are typically gift wrapped using a number of separate steps and a variety of wrapping materials. The gift wrapping must normally be cut to size before being folded around the package, then held in place while transparent adhesive tape is applied across the overlapping edges to secure the wrapping.
In addition to being cumbersome and time consuming, the conventional wrapping process uses paper or other disposable products as the wrapping material. The disposable gift wrap is usually irreparably damaged during unwrapping and must be discarded after a single use. As a result, massive quantities of paper are consumed annually in the production of disposable wrapping paper, requiring the destruction of many acres of forest land and causing needless expenditures of limited timber resources. The disposal of conventional wrapping paper also creates significant environmental problems. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, over 500,000 tons of wrapping paper are dumped into American landfills each year. The conventional gift wrapping process is thus costly, wasteful and harmful to the environment.
Various gift wrappings have been designed to minimize the number of steps and materials required in the gift wrapping process. Examples include self-wrapped boxes (U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,355,092 (Le Pain) and 4,967,952 (Roessiger)), prefabricated gift wrapping (U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,311,289 (French), 3,366,313 Culberg et al.), 3,381,889 (Laskow), and 3,489,333 (Culberg et al.)), and a plastic, heat shrinkable bag (U.S. Pat. No. 5,186,988 (Dixon)). Although these gift wrapping devices may expedite the wrapping process and mitigate the inconvenience, all involve the use of disposable, single-use wrapping materials. Thus, none of these gift wrappings address the above-noted problems of expense, waste and damage to the environment.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,004,144 (Selga) discloses another improved gift wrapping, the improvement comprising a reusable fabric gift wrap having releasable Velcro.TM. fasteners secured to its periphery. While this gift wrap is both complete and reusable, the design suffers in several respects. First, and importantly, each gift wrap accommodates only one standard-size box. Wraps must therefore be constructed and purchased for each particular package shape and size. The instant invention, in contrast, accommodates a variety of package sizes and shapes. Second, the gift wrap must be carefully folded to ensure exact alignment, and thus effective engagement, of the Velcro.TM. contact strips. Precise strip alignment is required to properly secure the wrapping. Finally, Velcro.TM. fasteners tend to accumulate lint and debris, particularly during washing, and may detach from the fabric after repeated use.
A need therefore exists for a practical, reusable fabric gift wrap, which is complete in and of itself, and which fits a variety of box sizes and shapes.